Curated OER
Understanding Different Views on Death
A thought-provoking lesson presents how different cultures view death. Upper elementary through high school pupils engage in a series of activities that will leave them with a new understanding of how death is dealt with globally....
Diane Venzera
Kwanzaa Celebration: Celebrating Family, Community, and Culture
Kwanzaa is the focus of a three-part lesson plan that celebrates the history and traditions of the holiday. Before lighting the Kinara, scholars listen to a read-aloud of Seven Candles of Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Learners express...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Hopi Traditional Dance and Song
Very few outsiders get to see the Hopi "Butterfly Dance." However, using approved footage from the tribe, class members consider the importance of symbols in Hopi culture by watching the dance and analyzing lyrics from its songs....
Curated OER
PERCEIVINGT A CULTURE THROUGH ITS LITERATURE
Studentsexamine cultural values in literature, identify the cultural assumptions, prejudices, and purposes of authors and translators, use historical perspective to determine if the values and lifestyle depicted apply to contemporary...
Curated OER
African Artist El Anatsui as a Reflection of African Culture: Human Rights Issues and Activism Through Art
Students explore global issues through visual art analysis. In this African art lesson, students examine works by El Anatsui and discussing their human rights themes. Students then design lesson plans based on their findings.
Curated OER
How Do Artists Get Their Ideas? Culture and Environment as Sources of Ideas
Students share the difficulties they have in determining what to write or draw for a project. In groups, they view examples from three different artists and discuss how their personal experiences affected their art. They brainstorm a...
Peace Corps
Celebrating Our Connections Through Water
Water is vital for survival, but how does it help global cultures flourish? Elementary and middle schoolers learn about the different cultures around the world that celebrate water and incorporate it into their festivals or traditions.
Smithsonian Institution
Dia de los Muertos: Honoring our Ancestors Through Community Celebration
Oral storytelling has been an important part of every culture. The time-honored practice uses stories as a conduit for a culture's values and customs from one generation to the next. Keep the tradition going with a family interview...
Nosapo
Getting to Know Each Other
How do you do? Guide learners through the basics of conversational English with an extensive set of discussion questions. Class members ask partners more about themselves, including their favorite hobbies, music, and time of day, as well...
Media Smarts
Defining Popular Culture
What part does media play in creating, defining, and perpetuating popular culture? High schoolers chart their encounters with fads, trends, and icons and reflect on the media's influence on popular culture.
Curated OER
The Struggles Between "Something Old" and "Something New"
Young scholars explore traditional life in Africa and assess how modern society may be impacting the values of the continent's traditional peoples. Students work in small groups to research various aspects of the infrastructures of...
Curated OER
1920s Consumer Culture
Students are immersed in the following goals of learning: The importance of consumerism in the 1920's. Also have learners recognize the connections between commodities and culture in the American past and present. Finally the ability for...
Curated OER
Mexican Masks
Students research the Huichol social-cultural system in both historical and contemporary Mexican culture. They analyze how peoples' perceptions, attitudes, values, and beliefs affect the development of cultural identity. Students create...
Curated OER
Cultural and Social Transformation since 1865
High schoolers research the evolution of cultural and social issues in areas of Westward Expansion, Immigration, and Civil Rights. They practice writing clear details with supporting evidence and examples and evaluate ways of improving...
Curated OER
Forming Connections Across Generations and Cultures
Students explore contemporary Indian literature. They compare and contrast intergenerational conflict in different cultures. Students explain and clarify their views on marriage and traditions.
Curated OER
Levittown, Automobiles, and Cultures of the 1950's
High schoolers investigate the impact of the automobile on Americans. In this 1950's America lesson, students listen to audio clips, read about Levittown, and explore the Interstate Highway Act from the decade. High schoolers then...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Classroom Culture
Sixth graders compose a list of classroom cultural values. They begin with a list of unacceptable behaviors. Each student presents two ideas they think should be part of the class culture. Students try to persuade classmates to accept...
Curated OER
African Myths
Students discover the role of storytelling in the African culture. In this multicultural lesson, students discuss the elements of the African myth and record them on the board. Students visit an African folktale website and read examples...
Maryland Department of Education
The Concept of Diversity in World Literature Lesson 5: The Tragic Hero
Should identifying a tragic hero be based on a universal definition or a definition based on the morals and values of a specific culture? As part of a study of Things Fall Apart, class members read Sylvia Plath's "Colossus" and then...
Curated OER
Identifying Cultural and Ethnic Values-Dance Theatre of Harlem
Students examine culture and ethnicity. In this cultural arts lesson, students discuss the cultural and social elements of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. They discuss other historical locations that have cultural influence, and discuss...
Curated OER
Cultural Values Messages in the Giant Kites of Guatemala
Learners describes ways in which the arts serve as expressions of culture. They explain how some forms of cultural communication contributes to societal cohesion and/or division. Students detect and analyze explicit and implicit messages...
University of the Desert
What Do You Want Your Country to be Like?
How would you like your country to be by 2020? What issues do you feel are most important, and how do those compare with your peers? Learners tackle questions regarding the evolving national and global culture of the twenty-first century...
Curated OER
A Jaded Culture
Students explore symbolic gems and metals of different cultures. They demonstrate their understanding of the use of such symbols in our own culture. They read and discuss the Times article, It's jade Time At The Galleries And The Fair.
Curated OER
Religious and Cultural Festivals of the World
Here are some interesting activities teachers can do with students to teach them about the religious and cultural festivals of the world.